Examinee fastening device for use in an x-ray photographing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An X-ray table top has longitudinal grooves formed in the sides thereof, which grooves have an enlarged engaging recess. Sliding pieces which are respectively received in the grooves and made slidable lengthwise of the table top are movably fitted at one end to the enlarged recesses of the grooves and are connected at the other end to strip-shaped fastening elements of synthetic resin, one of the pair having on its bottom surface a number of generally J-shaped projections and the other having a number of inverted generally U-shaped projections on its upper surface. The fastening elements are overlapped with each other on a patient placed on the table top and pressed together, thereby to permit the projections on the opposing fastening elements to interengage with each other.

Kurokawa et al..

[ 1 Oct. 24, 1972 EXAMINEE FASTENING DEVICE FOR USE IN AN X-RAY PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS Inventors: Toshio Kurokawa, Tokyo; Shoji Nishiyama, Machinohe; Katsumi Nagai, Tokyo; Yuu Mochizuki, Kawasaki, all of Japan Assignees: Toshio Kurokawa, Tokyo; Shoji Nishiyama, Hachinohe-shi, Aomoriken; Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd., Kawasaki-shi, Japan Filed: Sept. 25, 1970 Appl. No.: 75,688

Foreign, Application Priority Data US. Cl ..269/328, 269/ 1 31 Int. Cl. ..A61g 13/00 Field of Search ..269/254, 328, 322, 131, 55

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1892 WOOd ..269/254 D 2,266,231 12/1941 Mazzeo ..269/328 X 2,639,206 5/1953 Butler ..269/328 2,867,483 1/1959 Rodin ...........269/328 3,325,084 6/1967 Ausnit ..229/77 3,532,571 10/1970 Ausnit ..156/91 2,332,831 10/1943 Reinholz ..269/55 X 3,003,243 10/1961 Kanzelberger ..269/254 D 3,609,357 9/1971 Jones ..269/328 X Primary ExaminerRobert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Eugene F. Desmond Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf [57] ABSTRACT An X-ray table top has longitudinal grooves formed in the sides thereof, which grooves have an enlarged engaging recess. Sliding pieces which are respectively received in the grooves and made slidable lengthwise of the table top are movably fitted at one end to the enlarged recesses of the grooves and are connected at the other end to strip-shaped fastening elements of synthetic resin, one of the pair having on its bottom surface a number of generally J-shaped projections and the other having a number of inverted generally U-shaped projections on its upper surface. The fastening elements are overlapped with each other on a patient placed on the table top and pressed together, thereby to permit the projections on the opposing fastening elements to interengage with each other.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEUHBIZMBIZ 3.700.229 sum 11 21 I EXAMINEE FASTENING DEVICE FOR USE IN AN X-RAY PI'IOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS This invention relates to a fastening device used in an X-ray photographing apparatus, which is capable of positively securing a patient on a table top regardless of the rotating position of the table top and the physical characteristics of the patient.

.Usual X-ray photography of, for example, a cancer site is effected first by placing the patient on a table top and then by selecting a proper angle of incidence of X- rays. The position of the patient is varied by rotating or inverting the table top around its axis after determining the angle of the incident X-rays. Such rotation or inversion of the table top permits, for example, gastroparies (the inner wall of the stomach) to be directed to the incident rays in every nook and comer without causing any hidden or non-directed part ofthe cancer site to be present. The rotation of the table top also permits an image forming agent, such as a barium solution, to move within an organ where such agent is introduced for examination. It is frequently necessary that the table top should be rotated through a broad angle depending upon the nature of a disease site to be photographed. In order to keep the patient in position on the table top under such circumstances, various fastening means have heretofore been proposed. Such known devices, however, are not entirely satisfactory since they tend to press a body part to be examined, loosely support or fasten a patient or to be incapable of being easily released.

The object of the invention is to eliminate such drawbacks and to provide an improved fastening device comprising a table adapted to receive a patient and a pair of strip-shaped fastening pieces made of synthetic resin which are respectively slidably connected via sliding pieces in grooves at one end to the both sides of the table. The grooves have enlarged internal portions which engage with enlarged portions of the sliding pieces to secure the latter in the grooves. One of said pair of fastening pieces has spaced strips having a plurality of generally J-shaped projections formed on the bottom surface thereof by a special process, while the other of said pair is provided with spaced strips having inverted generally U shaped projections on its upper surface. The spaced strips extend cross-wise of the table and are connected to respective lengthwise extending strips which are connected to the respective sliding pieces. After positioning a patient on the table top, said pair of fastening pieces are overlapped and then manually pressed to permit the opposing groups of the projections to be intertwined and engaged with each other, with the result that the patient can be closely secured on the table top.

The fastening pieces are formed of soft synthetic resin so that the fastening operation can be effected without unnecessarily pressing a disease site to be examined and neighboring organs and without physically upsetting the patient. Interconnection of the fastening pieces via the respective projections is sufficiently firm so that the patient can be positively retained on the table top without falling therefrom throughout 360 rotation of the device. Further the fastening pieces can be easily separated or disengaged by merely pulling the overlying fastening piece awayin a perpendicular direction.

This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastening device as connected to a table top, in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along a line IIII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the fastening elements; and

FIG. 4 is a plain view of the fastening elements in the operative position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, table top 1 has grooves 2 and 3 formed in side surfaces thereof in the lengthwise direction. The grooves 2 and 3 have enlarged re-entrant portions 4 and 5 at the respective bottom ends to define substantially letter T-shaped configurations. In the grooves 2 and 3 are received slidable pieces 6 and 7 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the.

table top 1. The inner ends of the slidable pieces 6 and 7 are formed into T-shaped configurations to engage the T-shaped bottom ends of said grooves 2 and 3, whereby disengagement or falling off of the slidable pieces from the grooves is avoided. The opposite ends of the slidable pieces are integrally connected to a plurality of sidewardly exposing plates 8 and 9. To a surface of each of the side 'plates 8 and 9 which faces the side surface of the table top is connected one end of fastening strips 10 made of synthetic resin and which should be flexible to prevent pain to a patient when he is securedly placed on the table top, and durable to sufficiently withstand the overall weight of the patient without being unrecoverably stretched. An example of such a material is one marketed under the name magic leather. The fastening pieces 10, as shown in FIG. 1, are each composed of a first strip extending in a longitudinal direction of the table and connected to the side plate 8 and a plurality of equally spaced second strips integrally formed with said portion and extending in a cross-wise direction of the table. On the inner surface of the second strips of the fastening pieces connected to side plate 8 there are disposed by a special process a plurality of generally J-shaped projections, while projections of an inverted generally U-shaped configuration are arranged on the upper surface of the second strips of the fastening pieces. These strips are used as follows. As shown in FIG. 4, after a patient 1 1 is placed on the table top each pair of the fastening strips are placed one over the other on the patient in such a manner that the respective projections are opposed with each other. Thereafter, the strips are manually pressed to permit the opposing projections to be engaged one by the other, whereby the fastening strips are firmly interconnected. The strength of such interconnection may be determined by the number of the projections and hence by the size of the strips. Each fastening strip has one or more cut-out portions 12 which permit the strip to be closely attached to each part of the patient with substantially equal pressure, regardless of his physical constitution and without physically upsetting the patient.

A plurality of these fastening strips may be employed and moved along the grooves 2 and 3 to determine their optimum positions so that a patients disease or cancer site to be diagnosed can be held without being pressed. The shape of the fastening strip may be optionally selected to suit specific parts of a patient to be supported. For example, the strips may be so bifurcated as to best support the patients arms, as shown in FIG. 4.

As has been described, the fastening means for placing a patient on the table top includes fastening strips or pieces made of a synthetic resin having flexibility so as to keep the patient free of discomfort when the strips are attached, and which has strength to sufficiently withstand the weight of the patient without being unrecoverably stretched. The fastening strips extending from one side of the table top and those from the opposite side are paired. Each pair of the strips are overlapped on the patients body, and fastened together by simply pressing the strips against the patient to allow the projections formed on the strips to engage with each other. Such a pair of the strips can be easily separated by merely pulling them away in the perpen dicular direction. Since the cut-out portion formed in the fastening strip serves to promote close engagement of the strip to the patients body with uniform pressure, and since the fastening force attained by the engagement of the strips is proportional to the area occupied by the projections on each strip, the optimum fastening means appropriate to each patient can be provided according to this invention.

Further, a pair of the fastening strips arranged slidably along the grooves formed in the both sides of the table top and a plurality of such pairs can be used depending upon the patients height. The fastening means of the above arrangement will prevent the patient from falling down from the table top throughout a 360 rotation. Since the patient can be positively supported by the fastening means, the entire parts of the disease or cancer site can be positively photographed by rotating the patient together with the table top, without changing his lying position and yet without producing discomfort to the patient.

What we claim is:

l. A fastening device for use in an X-ray photographing apparatus comprising:

a table adapted to receive a patient in the prone position, said table having an outwardly directed groove formed in each edge thereof, each groove having an enlarged portion interior of the edge of the table;

a plurality of paired slidable pieces slidably received in said grooves, said slidable pieces being elongated in a longitudinal direction of the table and having enlarged portions which engage said enlarged portions of the grooves; and

a plurality of paired fastening pieces, each comprising a first strip connected to a respective slidable piece and extending longitudinally of the table, and spaced secondstrips integrally formed with said first strip, said second strips extending in the crosswise direction of the table, the second strips of one of the paired fastening pieces having a number of generally J-shaped projections on their under surfaces at the ends, and the second strips of the other of the paired fastening pieces having a number of inverted generally U-shaped projections on their upper surfaces at their ends, said pair of fastenin i eces being adapted to be overlapped on a patlen ymg on the table wrth said pro ec ons of a pair of fastening pieces being engaged with each other when said projections are in opposing relationship.

2. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said second strips of at least one pair of fastening pieces are equally spaced from each other.

3. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of said second strips have an elongated cut-out portion in the longitudinal direction of said strips.

4. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said fastening pieces exhibit a predetermined amount of resilience.

5. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of paired fastening pieces are formed of synthetic resin. 

1. A fastening device for use in an X-ray photographing apparatus comprising: a table adapted to receive a patient in the prone position, said table having an outwardly directed groove formed in each edge thereof, each groove having an enlarged portion interior of the edge of the table; a plurality of paired slidable pieces slidably received in said grooves, said slidable pieces being elongated in a longitudinal direction of the table and having enlarged portions which engage said enlarged portions of the grooves; and a plurality of paired fastening pieces, each comprising a first strip connected to a respective slidable piece and extending longitudinally of the table, and spaced second strips integrally formed with said first strip, said second strips extending in the crosswise direction of the table, the second strips of one of the paired fastening pieces having a number of generally J-shaped projections on their under surfaces at the ends, and the second strips of the other of the paired fastening pieces having a number of inverted generally U-shaped projections on their upper surfaces at their ends, said pair of fastening pieces being adapted to be overlapped on a patient lying on the table with said projections of a pair of fastening pieces being engaged with each other when said projections are in opposing relationship.
 2. A faStening device according to claim 1 wherein said second strips of at least one pair of fastening pieces are equally spaced from each other.
 3. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of said second strips have an elongated cut-out portion in the longitudinal direction of said strips.
 4. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said fastening pieces exhibit a predetermined amount of resilience.
 5. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of paired fastening pieces are formed of synthetic resin. 